Post by lostinnarnia on Apr 21, 2015 21:32:17 GMT
Hey all--I'm new to this, and I realize I'm posting every five seconds, but I wanted to let you know about an organization at FAU that I am part of.
The organization is Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP at FAU for short) and we are a human rights organization that is dedicated to raising awareness for the plight of the Palestinians in occupied Palestine and the survival of their culture abroad.
Short history lesson: There is a movement to create an self-defined "Jewish State," referred to as Zionism, that was born during the early years of the 20th century. There are of course, religious connotations within the word "Zion" and some Zionists believe to this day that the land of Palestine belongs to the Jewish people according to God. Prior to and following the atrocities of the Holocaust, many Jews fled to Palestine (understandably so), and many were manipulated by the Zionist movement (and British colonialists who encouraged and enabled the establishment of a Jewish State) to not only settle this area, but to create a state there. However, the Palestinian people already lived in the region, with a rich culture and large population. The Zionists and the British were very much aware of this, but ultimately refused to create a state anywhere else.
Eventually, the State of Israel was created, a Zionist invention that, while a democracy in many respects (namely domestically), expelled a large portion of the Palestinian population and killed many others. This is probably one of the best examples of neo-colonialism in the 20th century, and mirrors the plight of the Native Americans at the hands of European powers.
The State of Israel became extremely militaristic and repeatedly refused to be diplomatic in regards to the Palestinians.
Today, the State of Israel routinely oppresses the Palestinian population through segregation (Jewish-only roads, Jewish-only settlements, checkpoints), collective punishment (a massive wall that illegally divides Palestinian territories from Israel, cutting through homes, farms, and villages), random detainment and destruction of Palestinian homes, bombing campaigns that result in MANY civilian casualties, and ideological dehumanization of the Palestinian people. The U.S., the self-professed "greatest friend to Israel," contributes 3 billion dollars annually to Israeli military spending.
It is important to realize that Zionism is a racist ideaology that excludes others, and does NOT reflect the ideals of Judaism, which places an emphasis on social justice. Many Jews around the world, even in Israel, reject Zionism as racist, ethnocentric, and oppressive.
It is worth noting that while there are violent Palestinian resistance movements, and SJP does not support or condone any of them. The State of Israel punishes ALL Palestinians for the actions of these violent groups, which is referred to as "Collective Punishment" and is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention of the United Nations as well as several other international laws.
Students for Justice in Palestine at FAU supports human rights above all else. We are pro-peace, but we believe that peace cannot be acheived until there is justice, which means reparations, return of portions of land, etc. for the Palestinian people and Israel being tried for war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On campus, it may seem like this issue is unrelated, but the U.S., being the biggest supporter and sponsor of Israel's actions, is directly involved. In fact, at FAU and on campuses across the nation, there are countless "pro-Israel groups" that attempt to accentuate the positive aspects of Israel to whitewash the human rights abuses that the Israeli government commits. The groups operate mainly through propaganda and ignore basic facts about the conflict (including the Palestinian death toll) and ignore International institutions, insisting that the U.N. simply "hates Israel."
SO what do we do on campus?
SJP utilizes a number of methods to raise awareness for the plight of the Palestinians, but it is also important to encourage the survival of Palestinian culture. Last semester, we held an extremely successful "Palestinian Culture Festival," with food, music, dance, etc. We also attempt to educate the community about how the conflict affects them personally, financially and ideologically through lectures and open discussions.
In the fall semester we will be having many events, including movie nights, discussions, and peer-led lectures. If you are interested in becoming a part of SJP, check out our facebook page/group or email me at jpwershoven@gmail.com, jwershoven2014@fau.edu, or sjp.fau@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/sjp.fau?fref=ts
www.facebook.com/groups/SJP.FAU/
Also, if you want more information about the conflict, please read human rights reports, such as those from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
If you have any questions, be sure and let me know!
Thanks a ton!!!
--Jeremy
The organization is Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP at FAU for short) and we are a human rights organization that is dedicated to raising awareness for the plight of the Palestinians in occupied Palestine and the survival of their culture abroad.
Short history lesson: There is a movement to create an self-defined "Jewish State," referred to as Zionism, that was born during the early years of the 20th century. There are of course, religious connotations within the word "Zion" and some Zionists believe to this day that the land of Palestine belongs to the Jewish people according to God. Prior to and following the atrocities of the Holocaust, many Jews fled to Palestine (understandably so), and many were manipulated by the Zionist movement (and British colonialists who encouraged and enabled the establishment of a Jewish State) to not only settle this area, but to create a state there. However, the Palestinian people already lived in the region, with a rich culture and large population. The Zionists and the British were very much aware of this, but ultimately refused to create a state anywhere else.
Eventually, the State of Israel was created, a Zionist invention that, while a democracy in many respects (namely domestically), expelled a large portion of the Palestinian population and killed many others. This is probably one of the best examples of neo-colonialism in the 20th century, and mirrors the plight of the Native Americans at the hands of European powers.
The State of Israel became extremely militaristic and repeatedly refused to be diplomatic in regards to the Palestinians.
Today, the State of Israel routinely oppresses the Palestinian population through segregation (Jewish-only roads, Jewish-only settlements, checkpoints), collective punishment (a massive wall that illegally divides Palestinian territories from Israel, cutting through homes, farms, and villages), random detainment and destruction of Palestinian homes, bombing campaigns that result in MANY civilian casualties, and ideological dehumanization of the Palestinian people. The U.S., the self-professed "greatest friend to Israel," contributes 3 billion dollars annually to Israeli military spending.
It is important to realize that Zionism is a racist ideaology that excludes others, and does NOT reflect the ideals of Judaism, which places an emphasis on social justice. Many Jews around the world, even in Israel, reject Zionism as racist, ethnocentric, and oppressive.
It is worth noting that while there are violent Palestinian resistance movements, and SJP does not support or condone any of them. The State of Israel punishes ALL Palestinians for the actions of these violent groups, which is referred to as "Collective Punishment" and is illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention of the United Nations as well as several other international laws.
Students for Justice in Palestine at FAU supports human rights above all else. We are pro-peace, but we believe that peace cannot be acheived until there is justice, which means reparations, return of portions of land, etc. for the Palestinian people and Israel being tried for war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On campus, it may seem like this issue is unrelated, but the U.S., being the biggest supporter and sponsor of Israel's actions, is directly involved. In fact, at FAU and on campuses across the nation, there are countless "pro-Israel groups" that attempt to accentuate the positive aspects of Israel to whitewash the human rights abuses that the Israeli government commits. The groups operate mainly through propaganda and ignore basic facts about the conflict (including the Palestinian death toll) and ignore International institutions, insisting that the U.N. simply "hates Israel."
SO what do we do on campus?
SJP utilizes a number of methods to raise awareness for the plight of the Palestinians, but it is also important to encourage the survival of Palestinian culture. Last semester, we held an extremely successful "Palestinian Culture Festival," with food, music, dance, etc. We also attempt to educate the community about how the conflict affects them personally, financially and ideologically through lectures and open discussions.
In the fall semester we will be having many events, including movie nights, discussions, and peer-led lectures. If you are interested in becoming a part of SJP, check out our facebook page/group or email me at jpwershoven@gmail.com, jwershoven2014@fau.edu, or sjp.fau@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/sjp.fau?fref=ts
www.facebook.com/groups/SJP.FAU/
Also, if you want more information about the conflict, please read human rights reports, such as those from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
If you have any questions, be sure and let me know!
Thanks a ton!!!
--Jeremy